Deschutes County Fair Theme Entry

“Let’s Stirrup Some Memories” was the theme. Nothing you see was purchased for the piece—it was all stuff from thrift stores, garage sales and the scrap yard. Objects that I had filed away “in case I needed it.” Built from off-the-shelf parts.

The base, cherry, is about 25” x 10”. A variety of woods make up the rest. The tail is cotton string which was too white so I dyed it in strong tea. Orange pekoe and pekoe cut black, for the record.

I hope the piece stirrups some memories for you. As John Prine says, “It’s all right to look backwards once in a while, but it’s not good to stare.”

Lee – You nailed the theme , juxtaposing several stirrup and related pieces creatively and with humor and whimsy. You are the one person, I know, that has a large and enviable collection of things and you put them to good use.Well done!

Question: Lee, what in the world were you doing with an OB-GYN stirrup, or is that a question that I shouldn’t ask?I looked at it and it looked neat. Then Miss Honey Ma’am looked and pointed out what the stirrup was and I just had to ask. LOLNo, seriously, that is a fantastic creation. No wonder it got first place and a smiley face. I love it!

Hey Joe—Well, it goes like this. I frequent the local scrapyard (Swift & McCormick, Terrebonne, Oregon usa). It’s where I get away, get stuff, get inspired, get dusty and greasy, and smile constantly. Last year, for her birthday, I took my wife Linda there. On my previous trip I had found that exam-table stirrup and then misplaced it. I told her of my broken heart, and darned if she didn’t find that stirrup. It kicked (sorry) around my shop until I read the Fair theme this year. Bingo! I also had the English stirrup, and the shoe last, and the motorcycle peg, and was dismantling a bike at the time just to get a few parts from it, so the piece nearly built itself.

Here is a satellite view of the yard. It is impossible to grasp the immensity of it from above. Each of the piles is about 30’ high.

You weigh in, park, walk around, make your periodic piles of stuff and then drive back around and pick it up. $.30 per pound on the way out.

Hey! They’re open till noon on Saturday! What’re we waiting for!

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"